The Hind and the Dagger
by EKSimmons
Summary: When a magical dagger is stolen from a museum, the Librarians race off to Greece to find the Golden Hind before the thief uses the dagger and her to gain immortality. This is a one shot- wrote for a friend, she encouraged me to post it so here it is.
1. Chapter 1

**The Hind and the Dagger**

 *** One off, wrote to cheer a dear friend. Many many thanks to Mary B. for giving me a crash course on the characters, relationships and the alterations made to the franchise so I didn't make a complete fool of myself. LOL  
**

"What's with the _early_ morning meeting? What's so dang important?" Jake muttered as he entered the dimly lit office, still rubbing his eyes. Jenkins and Eve stood talking to one side while Ezekiel slid in behind him.

"Sorry saving the world is eating into your beauty sleep…" Jenkins sniped.

Eve handed both the late comers a folder. They flipped them open to see several photos and papers. The top photo showed an ancient bronze dagger, plain in appearance.

"Approximately three hours ago, someone broke into the Field Museum in Chicago and stole this dagger from the Greek antiquities collection. The dagger was part of a lot on loan from the Greek government," Jenkins began explaining.

"What's so special about it?" Ezekiel lifted the photo out and turned it side to side as he examined the edges.

"The dagger itself, nothing, what it can do… that's another thing. Are any of you familiar with Eurystheus or the Ceryneian Hind?"

"Eurystheus was a Greek king that made Hercules retrieve the Hind as one of his labors," Jake replied. "The Hind was a giant doe with golden antlers, bronze hooves and was reputably the fastest creature on earth-able to outrun arrows. Eurystheus' goal was for Hercules to capture the Hind, angering the goddess Artemis who would hopefully kill Hercules for the deed. Eventually after chasing her all over Greece, Hercules captured the Hind by landing an arrow through her legs while she drank. Then he sweet talked Artemis into letting him borrow her by promising to return her. Eurystheus intended to keep the Hind and Hercules tricked him into coming to retrieve the deer himself. Once he got close enough, Hercules released and the Hind ran away, fulfilling the labor and Hercules' promise while humiliating Eurystheus."

All eyes were riveted on him.

"What? Much of ancient Greek art depicted mythology, and Hercules' labors were a popular topic," he exclaimed before going silent.

"Okay, now that the history lesson is over with… what does this all have to do with the dagger?" Ezekiel rolled his eyes.

"That's where the tale ended as far as the world knows. What you never heard was after his humiliation of losing the Hind, Eurystheus pleaded with the goddess Hera to avenge him his lost prize. The Hind was the vessel of great power and was coveted by many rulers. Hera indulged Eurystheus' plea. She placed an enchantment over the king's dagger. Any male heir to Eurystheus who used the dagger to sever the Hind, would receive her ability to restore and essentially live forever," Jenkins regaled them.

"And he never bothered to use it?" Eve asked.

"He never got the chance. After Hercules completed his labors, Eurystheus was caught up with his blood feud and attempted to kill all of Hercules' line. In the process, he and his sons were killed."

"So if his line ended, than what is so special about the dagger?" Ezekiel pressed, hoping for a response of intrinsic value.

"Eurystheus also had two sisters. One of them escaped the blood feuds over the throne and disappeared northward. It is believed she settled in what is now Germany. Her descendants are believed to be capable of using the dagger as well."

"So if this dagger is so valuable, why was it in a public museum? Shouldn't we have had it long ago?" Ezekiel grew bored with the whole affair.

"The dagger was lost for centuries. We only recently were able to positively ascertain that it was the correct dagger. The Greek government was negotiating with us to deliver the dagger after the exhibit closed next week. We were not in a hurry as the legend was never a public tale. How anyone could have known the legend and identified the dagger is troubling."

"We have to get the dagger to stop someone from becoming invincible?" Jake sighed.

"That's ideal, but since we have no idea who took it, we are taking the next best course. You three are going to Greece to find the Hind, warn her of the danger and take the necessary precautions to protect her- bring her here if you have to."

"We're going to Greece, to see a giant deer with gold antlers? Okay, that does sound kind of cool," Ezekiel relented.

"Wait, what about…" Jake interrupted.

"She's got lab work being done. The three of us can handle it," Eve answered.

"Eve's taking point on this," Jenkins noted.

"Shouldn't _I_ take point? I mean, I am the most knowledgeable about this topic," Jake insisted.

"Yeah, isn't it a rule if you're hunting deer, you have to follow the redneck?" Ezekiel teased. Jake's eyes narrowed as he shot a glare the thief's direction before returning them to Jenkins and Eve.

"Actually…" Jenkins' eyebrows rose as he spoke before immediately plunging into a scowl, "No. Eve has point and she'll make the initial contact with the Hind alone."

"What, she doesn't like men or something?" Ezekiel joked.

"Yeah, we'll go with that," Jenkins muttered as he turned away and began playing with something on the counter behind him.

"But…" Jake tried to argue.

"You boys heard him. Let's get going. We're almost four hours behind now," Eve barked.


	2. Chapter 2

The team felt like they had stepped into a fairy tale book when they arrived in the quaint little Greek town. Tiny homes and businesses lined the narrow streets. Everything felt centuries old minus the cars and streetlights. Even the people seemed stuck in time. No one was glued to a cellphone or an iPod. Thick woods grew all around the village, creating a feeling of being cut off from the rest of the world.

"Places like this still exist, huh?" Ezekiel pursed his lips as he looked out at the forests surrounding them.

"Everywhere, man. You just have to look," Jake breathed as he pulled the chair away from the outdoor café table they were preparing to sit at.

A stout man in his late 50s waddled to the table as they took their seats. "Yassas!" he chirped.

"What?" Ezekiel's face twisted up.

"Oh, sorry, I did not realize you are Americans. I simply said hello," the man answered.

"Hello," they all replied.

"May I bring you anything to drink or eat?"

"Just a coffee service is fine, we're in a bit of a rush," Eve replied.

"You Americans are always in a rush… not good for body," he teased.

"Too true." Eve's eye twitched slightly. "Any other bits of wisdom for us poor American tourists?"

The man grinned largely. "'Cherish wisdom as a means of travelling from youth to old age, for it is more lasting than any other possession.'"

"Bias of Priene- a wise sentiment," she replied. "I've always liked Pythagoras myself. 'Choose rather to be strong in soul than strong in body.'"

"For a strong soul can overcome that which the strength of body loses to exhaustion."

Eve's brow rose in appreciation. "I'll have to remember that one."

"My name is Stephanos Loukas. A pleasure to have such distinguished souls in our little town. Welcome to my café."

"Eve," she answered and pointed to the others as she spoke. "This is Jake and Ezekiel."

"I have to tend to a matter quickly but I will take you to one who can show you what you seek in a few minutes. Blessings my friends."

"Thanks, Steve…" Ezekiel laughed. Stephanos frowned and disappeared back inside.

"I don't think he appreciates 'Steve'," Eve shook her head. "Don't be pissing off the friends we do have."

"Fine, Stephanos," Ezekiel snorted.

* * *

"You are certainly not what I expected," Stephanos stated. He led the team down a trail through the trees toward his home.

"We get that a lot," Eve sighed. "Too many movies, I guess."

Stephanos howled with laughter. "I think you are right! Well, my boarder- Cyrilla, lovely young woman, she has seen Cyrene many times."

"Cyrene?"

"That is the name we have all come to know for her. No one has spoken with her to know her actual name so that is what we call her."

"Like everyone calling the Loch Ness Monster Nessie," Jake offered.

"I suppose," Stephanos replied. "Cyrilla is a quiet woman, so please be patient with her as she may take a little time to open up and speak up. She is not like me at all… haha."

"Not a problem," Eve smiled.

* * *

The team was relieved to arrive at Stephanos' small home and find an end to the man's rambling. A petite woman, appearing in her thirties, was tending to some flower boxes out front.

"Cyrilla, my dear! These are the people who wish to meet Cyrene," Stephanos shouted.

The woman put down her watering can and came to greet the team.

"Hello," she said meekly.

"Hello, Cyrilla. My name is Eve." The two women shook hands before Eve continued with the introductions. "This is Ezekiel."

Cyrilla gave a small nod to him and turned to face Jake who approached with his right hand extended as Eve introduced him.

"And this is Jake…"

The young woman's nostrils flared as Jake stepped close. Her large eyes grew wider and she reared back. In a matter of moments, her arms rose, fists clenched and dropped against his torso. One fist landed on his right shoulder joint, the other at the front of the collarbone. She let out a cry and vanished into the trees as Jake dropped to the ground like a rag doll.

"What the hell was that all about?" Eve's jaw dropped.

"She's never done that before…" Stephanos stared in stunned silence.

"Come on, man. You've got at least six inches and 100 pounds on her. What a wimp," Ezekiel laughed at Jake still curled up on the ground.

Eve cocked her head to the side as she watched him a moment. Jake was partially on his back, shielding his right arm and shoulder towards the ground. His body was shaking slightly and she could hear him fighting the urge to cry out. She squatted next to him and craned her neck to look him in the face.

"Jake? You alright?" she asked.

He gingerly turned toward her, sitting on the ground. His face was red, his bottom lip trembled. His left arm held his right arm against his body as he breathed shallow and rapid. The pain radiated off his face as he shook it slightly.

"No..no," he managed to spit out.

She narrowed her eyes a moment. Her fingers reached out and down his shirt collar. She slid it down a few inches to look at his collarbone. A large bruise shown where Cyrilla had hit him. The shape was not in a fist, but something smaller and more rounded.

"What the hell is that?" Ezekiel frowned as he looked at the bruise.

Eve huffed a knowing laugh. "That would be a hoof print. Congrats boys, looks like we found Cyrene."

"Didn't look like a giant deer to me," Ezekiel scoffed.

"Some kind of shape shifting or optical illusion. Who knows, but that was her."

"I'm sorry," Stephanos apologized.

"I'm sure you were just trying to protect her. No need to apologize for that."

"We can't be too careful. I think I know where to look for her. There's a spot she goes when she is upset or wanting to be alone."

Eve fingered around the bruise on Jake's chest. He clenched his teeth and groaned.

"Broke the collarbone," she stated. She pulled her hand back and moved to his shoulder. As her fingers pressed against the joint, he let out a sharp cry he had been holding back.

"Stop helping!" he hissed.

"Dislocated the shoulder too," she smiled.

"Hurts like hell."

"Don't be such a baby."

"Says the one without the dislocated shoulder!"

"I've broken and dislocated more bones than you could count."

"Really?"

"Really. Once it's back in place- it's no big deal."

"Okay," he relented.

"When you're ready." She braced the shoulder, ready to pop the joint back.

"On three…" he breathed. She nodded.

"One…" he counted. Eve slammed the joint back into place. Jake screamed.

"What happened to THREE!?" he demanded after the cry of pain had cleared.

"It's better if you're relaxed," she replied.

"That hurt like…" his brain struggled to find a comparison.

"I told you it would feel better after it was back in place. Putting it back in place… well, that's pain like you won't believe," she smiled.

"Sometimes I hate you…" he huffed.

Her pocket began vibrating. "Perfect timing…" she sighed. She stood up and pulled the phone from her pocket. An incoming video call indicated on the screen. Her finger swiped the icon and brought up a screen of a nose.

"Yeah?" she answered.

"HEY, Eve!" The image on the screen pulled back to reveal Flynn in a darkened hallway. "I had a few minutes and decided to check up on how you're doing. Did you make contact with her yet?"

"Yeah… about that," she began.

"FLYNN, my friend!" Stephanos pushed his way in front of her to see the screen.

"Stephanos! Hey, how're you doing?" Flynn grinned.

"You must come back here soon. Athena perfected her chicken spinach… it's to die for!"

Flynn's jaw fell, "Oh, you know I love her chicken…"

"Would you two ladies like us to give you some privacy?" Eve interrupted. Stephanos lowered his head and backed away.

"Sorry, anyway, you were saying?" Flynn asked.

"We DID make contact, and we kind of lost her before anything could really be said."

"Okay…"

"Well, we were told we were meeting someone who could take us to her… and it turned out it WAS her…"

"And all three of you were there, weren't you?" Flynn nodded understanding as he spoke.

"Yeah."

"How _not_ good did it go?"

"She tried to snap Jake in half."

"Oh, _that_ not good. Guess that confirms what we suspected."

"Suspected what? It would really be nice to know what the heck is going on."

"Well, remember the story of the Hind… she's been captured once in her 3,000ish years of life."

"Yeah, by Herc…" Eve's face dropped. "PLEASE, tell me you are not about to say he's a descendant of Hercules."

"What? No, no, definitely not," Flynn panicked.

Eve huffed in relief. "Okay, so what about the story?"

"Well, Hercules captured her on his cousin Eurystheus' order. Now records aren't all that complete or even well kept from that time but we're pretty sure Jake is related to Alycone- Eurystheus' sister who fled to the Urnfields. We couldn't be positive from our research but I'm gonna say her reaction is pretty much the best certainty we can ask for."

"So you're saying Jake is one of the people who can use this dagger to become immortal?"

"Yes..NO…yeah, well," Flynn debated. "Yeah, I guess that is what I'm saying, yeah."

"And we didn't feel this was important information to have?"

"We couldn't say for certain so we didn't want to complicate anything."

"Well, that failed."

"Yeah, got that."

"Who thought this was a good idea?"

"It wasn't, but we couldn't take the chance of sending just the two of you without knowing what we were up against. You needed the man power more than we worried about sending him. He's not really a danger to her, unless you think he'd use it. You don't think that, do you?"

"I may be hurt, but I'm not dead. You guys _know_ I can hear you, right?" Jake muttered from the ground.

"I'm on speaker, aren't I?" Flynn sealed his face in an awkward toothless grin.

"Yeah, video conference tends to be speaker." Eve closed her eyes in frustration.

"Sorry," Flynn apologized. "Oh, hey, we did identify who stole the dagger by the way. His name is Percy Countrace. This is a really bad guy. He's a former member of _both_ the Scorpion League and Serpent Brotherhood. Guess he was even too bad for them. He's got a couple of guys as far as we can tell."

"That's good to know."

"The problem is… he isn't a descendant of Alycone. He can't use the dagger, so we aren't really sure what his plans are yet but if there is a way to get around that- he's smart enough to figure it out. So the sooner you can secure the Hind, the better we'll all be."

"We have a lead on where she might be, but Jake's in no shape to continue. I reset his shoulder but it's not going to be real useable for a while and the broken collarbone isn't going to help either."

"I patch him up and get him to the airport, no problem," Stephanos chimed. A small look of panic crossed Jake's face at the prospect of being left alone with the constant talker.

"See, there you go. Stephanos is good at fixing things. If you guys need help, I can be there in a couple hours, no sweat," Flynn offered.

"Aren't you working on something important there?" Eve narrowed her gaze.

"Ha, it's Atlantis… trust me, the city isn't the only thing lost. Just spent three days trying to locate the directory. Technological marvels… and _really_ excellent cell reception but their organizational skills are nonexistent. I'm ready to be done," Flynn sighed.

"You should finish what you're doing. Ezekiel and I should be able to handle this. We'll call if we need you, I promise."

"Okay, good luck." He hung up.

"Looks like we're going deer hunting," she breathed.

"Fun," Ezekiel frowned.

"You aren't seriously leaving me here," Jake pleaded.

Eve shook her head. "You need to be patched up and seeing how THIS meeting went, I'm not real keen on the idea of bringing you along for round two."

"I don't know, I think it'd be fun to watch," Ezekiel snickered. They both glared at him.

"You stay here and get patched up. Hopefully we can find Cyrene, Cyrilla whatever her name is and be back before you leave. If not, you should go. That collarbone needs attending," Eve ordered. Jake frowned but stayed silent.

"I'll get him fixed good," Stephanos promised.

"First we need to know where to look for Cyrene," Eve reminded him.

"Yes, about three kilometers that way is a stream. Follow the stream south 'til it forks. On the far side you will see a grove of trees. She hides away near there," Stephanos explained, pointing toward the east.

"Thanks. Let's go." Eve headed out east, Ezekiel falling in behind her. Jake sighed watching them disappear without him.


	3. Chapter 3

"You fuss _so_ much! Worse than a child," Stephanos chastised. He shoved Jake back down on the couch as the man tried to stand up.

"Ow," Jake grumbled as Stephanos' hand slid across the shoulder blade to the newly reset joint.

"Quit fussing and that doesn't happen."

"Then hurry up. I want to be ready to go when they get back."

"Hrmpf," the old man scoffed. He pulled the chest wrap tight and hooked Jake's right arm over the lower ribs.

"A sling would work, wouldn't it?" Jake insisted, hoping to avoid complete loss of arm use.

"Sling, bah. I was medic in two wars before you reached your daddy's elbow. Don't lecture me on bandaging techniques!" Stephanos scolded. He made his displeasure at the questioning known by giving a few extra tugs on the too tight wrap. Jake flinched at the pressure put on the collar by the yanks.

"Easy…"

"Stop arguing with me."

"Okay."

* * *

Ezekiel's eyes fluttered, trying to take in the vast world around them. Eve stayed focused ahead. They had reached the stream easily and picked up their pace looking for the fork.

"Curious, would you do it?" he blurted.

"Do what?" she replied without slowing or even turning to look at him.

"If you were Jake, would you do it? I mean- invincibility… that's a tempting offer."

"No, I wouldn't."

"Really? I can't say I wouldn't be tempted. That would be so cool. I could do anything and never have to worry about getting killed. I would be able to try anything."

"Yeah, I'm sure eternity in jail would be a pleasure," she smirked.

"That's harsh… but I never thought of that. Would certainly give new meaning to life sentence."

"Life wouldn't really have any meaning if it was forever. All of those things you imagine being able to do… if you knew there was no danger in it, would it still have the same thrill?"

He twisted his lip. "Way to suck all the fun out of that dream."

"That's what I'm here for…"

"So if the situation came up, do you think he'd do it?"

Eve stopped dead in her tracks and whirled around to come nose to nose with him before speaking firmly. "I think you know as well as I do what he would do and it is completely out of line for you to question it. Now, if you're done, we have a hind to find and the world to save."

He swallowed. "Yeah, I'm done."

"Good." She turned and continued their trail.

* * *

The two came upon the grove within twenty minutes of their discussion. Several hollows and thickets formed in the undergrowth.

"Okay, any idea where to start?" Ezekiel asked.

Eve took a breath and began speaking loudly. "Cyrene… we know you are here. We're friends. I know you don't trust us, we didn't know about Jake's lineage and we're sorry about that. You have every reason to be afraid and protect yourself. We don't blame you one bit for how you handled it."

Ezekiel looked around but didn't see any sign of the hind. He and Eve locked eyes for a moment before she continued speaking.

"Please listen to us. We have come from the Library. I'm not sure if you know what that is, but we came to help you, to warn you. A group of very dangerous people have Eurystheus' dagger. We want to help protect you from them, if you'll let us. I realize you don't trust us, especially since you know one of our group is able to use the dagger- but I can tell you he isn't a threat to you. We came to warn you, and we've done so. The rest is up to you. We won't force you to do anything but I do hope you will let us help you."

"Stephanos trusts you." The meek voice echoed in the grove.

"I think so. We only just met him, but he is tending to our friend. We assure you, he will leave if it makes you feel better."

"I know the Library. It is well known to all of the other world- myths and legends as you would say. As a fawn, I was saved by the Librarian. Stephanos speaks highly of Flynn Carson but he is not with you."

"No, he is detained by assignment elsewhere. We are here with his blessing and in his stead. I know there is no way we could prove that to you."

"You have a good aura, but your companion is a hard read."

Eve glared at Ezekiel. "Say something," she whispered.

"I've done some bad things but she's right, we're here from the Library and we just want to help you," he added.

"You readily admit to flaws. You are honest or a gifted liar," Cyrene's voice was clear behind them. They both turned to see the woman standing between two trees.

"I think the jury's still out on that one," Eve admitted.

"For Stephanos, I will give you the benefit. You do not have the dagger, this I know."

"Thank you."

"What do you ask of me?"

"Unfortunately we don't know what these people plan to do. The one in charge is not capable of using the dagger, but that doesn't mean he isn't a threat. We want to keep you safe, but I'm not sure exactly what that will entail. The Library would be a sanctuary to you if you came with us."

"What of Stephanos, the village? Can you guarantee they would be safe?"

"I don't know how far these people would go."

"I must speak with Stephanos. I will not leave the village to danger without their voice."

"Fair enough."

* * *

"How long have you known Stephanos?" Eve inquired as they followed the stream back.

Cyrene sighed. "Since he was born. His family has watched over me for twelve generations."

"Seems odd to think of you needing a guardian after several millennia, especially with an ability like shape shifting. There is no mention in mythology of you being able to do that."

"Yes, as the world has grown smaller- it is harder and harder to remain out of the sight of those who would do me harm. After the incident with Hercules, Artemis realized that speed would not suffice to keep me safe. She secretly granted me the gift of changing my shape to better help me hide from those who would seek to capture me, and allowed me to better communicate with the humans around me. One man saw the change millennia ago and he vowed to keep the secret. Stephanos and his ancestors are the only ones who knew. That secret was passed down as each generation proved worthy of its knowledge. They have given me shelter and love when I need it most."

"Does he have children? Who would you turn to when he dies?"

"No, sadly, Stephanos had a wife and a young son but they were killed in an accident long ago. It was far from here, and he could not get to them in time. In this, we both understood each other's pain and became closer. When he dies, I will once again be alone."

"That's unfortunate." Eve's eyes lowered in sadness.

"It is not the first time, nor will it be the last. It is a curse of my existence."

Eve turned and gave a 'told you so' look to Ezekiel who looked sad himself.

"I'm sure…" Ezekiel began but Cyrene froze in her tracks, sniffing the air. Her breath stopped and her eyes widened.

"What is it?" Eve tensed up.

"Stephanos… smoke." Cyrene blurted and took off through the trees.

"What?" Ezekiel furrowed his brow.

Eve looked up through the treetops. A smoke screen was beginning to waft overhead. She pointed up at it. "Smoke."

"Great," he sighed. They both ran after her.

* * *

Despite her speed, Ezekiel and Eve caught up to Cyrene at the edge of the trees. The house was engulfed in flames, causing Cyrene to keep back.

"Oh no," Eve breathed.

"Look," Ezekiel pointed toward some movement about twenty feet from the flower boxes. They ran to find Stephanos coughing and dragging himself from the fire. Each woman grabbed an arm and finished pulling the man to a safe distance.

"Stephanos!" Cyrene cried as she knelt down and cradled his head.

"Cyrene… you…safe," he coughed out each word.

"Where's Jake? We have to get him," Eve insisted. She began to head toward the fire, but Stephanos grabbed her ankle.

"No, they take him," the old man huffed. "Must keep her safe."

"Stephanos, your home. This is all my fault," Cyrene cried.

The old man placed his hand on her cheek. "It is a house, nothing more. I would give everything to keep you safe. You are not to blame for the actions of those who do not understand."

"Well, now what do we do?" Ezekiel frowned.

"I think we can all guess why they wanted Jake. Without knowing where they are, I'm not sure we…" Eve stopped speaking and craned her neck to see around the others.

"What is it?" Ezekiel turned to see what she was locked on.

Eve stood and walked over to a spot along the trail. Several deep impressions shown in the soft ground. "Tire tracks. ATVs, that's how they got here and out so fast."

"Well, we'll never catch up to them on foot."

"No, we can't."

" _You_ can't," Cyrene breathed. She stood and walked to the edge of the trees near the tracks. Her head bowed and eyes closed.

Eve and Ezekiel's jaws slowly dropped as they watched the woman disappear and an eight foot tall deer take her place. Her golden antlers glistened, her bronze hooves shined. Even her coat seemed to lean toward a golden hue.

Cyrene gave a cry into the air. Within moments, a sparrowhawk landed on a branch near her. A silent exchange seemed to take place, ending with Cyrene nodding towards the tracks. The bird bobbed its head and took off into the air. The deer shook her head and the woman returned.

"Wow," Ezekiel stammered.

"He will follow the trail and let us know where your friend has been taken," Cyrene explained.

"Thank you," Eve replied. "Until then, we need to figure out a game plan."

"Time to call Flynn?" Ezekiel scrunched his face.

"No, we don't have that kind of time. We need to figure this out. They have the dagger, Jake can use the dagger. But, that doesn't make any sense because they wouldn't gain anything from him using it so there has to be something else."

"He does not need to use it," Cyrene corrected.

"What?" Eve locked eyes with her. Ezekiel also found himself staring.

"The story was translated poorly. It is a common misconception that only the descendants of Eurystheus can use the dagger. If you understood the original language of the curse, you would understand it more as one with the blood of Eurystheus."

"So anyone can use the dagger as long as they have the blood of Eurystheus in them?"

"Yes."

"Wait, wouldn't that be the same thing?" Ezekiel asked.

"No," Eve rolled her tongue across the roof of her mouth before continuing. "Not if you take it more literal. Not all of the blood has to be Eurystheus…"

Cyrene gave a small nod to indicate she was on the right track.

"I'm still confused," Ezekiel replied.

"All they have to do is take some of Jake's blood and inject it into themselves."

"So why didn't they just kill him here and take some with them?"

"Because they need the blood fresh to inject, and they can't use it until they are ready to strike. Once they inject the blood, they would only have a small window that it would be viable before the body rejects and attempts to flush it out."

"How do you know this?" Ezekiel shook his head.

"You pick up a lot on the front lines."

"So they won't kill him until they are ready to kill her."

"Exactly."

"Well, that's good to know."

"Yeah, so we need to figure out how they plan to do that. They obviously knew more about this than we did. So they have to have a plan to catch her. Any ideas how they could do that?" Eve looked to Cyrene.

"Short of Hercules, no one ever has. I can outrun any creature or vehicle short of a jet," Cyrene answered.

"One of them had, what's the word," Stephanos sighed as he stood up and used his hands to speak. "You know- a gun, but not one that shoots bullets."

"A tranquilizer gun?" Ezekiel suggested.

"YES, that's it. One of them had a tranquilizer gun."

"That explains how they plan to handle that. But we still don't know how they plan to catch up to her in order to use it," Eve insisted.

"We may not know that, but if they plan to knock her out first, it's clear they plan to take her back with them before killing her," Ezekiel offered.

"How does that help?" Stephanos asked.

"Well, we know what they plan to do now, and soon where they'll be."

"And?" Eve beckoned.

"I think I have an idea." Ezekiel turned to Cyrene. "How good is your shape shifting ability?"

Cyrene's head cocked awkwardly.


	4. Chapter 4

A faint rumble of voices echoed in the darkness. Jake's eyes opened to an unfamiliar room. He was in a home similar to Stephanos'… a large open area with living, cooking and sleeping quarters designated by corners without dividing walls. This home lacked the décor of Stephanos' however. A few small pieces of furniture had been piled to the side, leaving the majority of the room bare. His head throbbed slightly from the hit he'd taken earlier and the pain was intensified with each turn of his neck. He shrugged it off wanting to see his circumstances. A twine rope wrapped his torso and arms to the chair he awoke in. His wrapped right arm was snug under the rope. The left arm was duct taped in two places to the arm of the chair, wrist and palm up. Duct tape also secured his ankles.

"Look who decided to wake up," a haughty voice snickered. A faint trace of French accent muddled with another that Jake couldn't quite identify. Three men approached from the far corner. One stood a hulking 6'7" carrying a backpack and the tranquilizer gun strapped to his thigh, the other two were more average sized. One of the smaller men came to the lead, his swagger and poise gave his position as leader away.

"Percy Countrace, I presume," Jake snipped, blinking rapidly as his eyes argued being open so soon.

The man grinned. "The little one knows my name. How flattering."

"I won't help you," Jake stated, ignoring the urge to snap at the man's insult. "I won't use it."

Percy laughed. "Of course you won't. I wouldn't gain anything from you becoming immortal. Foolish. How do you librarians survive with such narrow understanding? Oh, that's right, you're just a… what would you say? _Junior_ librarian?"

"You obviously need something, or you would have just killed me."

"Yes, I do need something. But not yet. First we have to get that deer."

Jake took his turn to laugh. "You'll never catch her. Outside of a jet or a rocket, there is no vehicle that can catch her."

"True, no living being or man-made vehicle can catch that creature. But you know as well as I that we're not limited to the man-made world, are we?" Percy grinned slyly as he waved the giant man over. The man obliged and lowered the open backpack. Countrace dove his hand into the backpack and pulled out a pair of gold plated sandals with brilliant white wings on either side. The wings fluttered desperately to escape but failed to break his grip. Jake's face paled as he realized what they were.

"Hermes, god of commerce and thieves, as well as the messenger of the gods, whose winged sandals allowed him to traverse the heavens of Olympus, the depths of Tartarus and all the world in between in the blink of an eye," Percy explained. "Now, do you think these could catch a deer?"

Jake swallowed. "How…"

"Nevermind how we got these, what is important is that they and you will be the key to my rise as the ruler of this pitiful planet. What nation will stand against a man they cannot destroy?"

"I still don't see how I'm of help to you," Jake spat.

"You really don't know, do you?" Percy cocked his head to the side. "You, my boy, contain what I lack to be able to gain this power. Your blood can activate that power, and I intend to take it."

"What?" Jake's confusion was turning to frustration.

"I simply need to take your blood for myself and the dagger will be mine to wield. It truly is that simple, my boy."

Jake looked down at his left arm. He suddenly realized it was positioned for a needle draw.

"Now you understand. I was prepared to spend years searching for a descendant of Eurystheus and hunting that deer down. Quite fitting that the very group who came to stop me has conveniently delivered both right into my hands."

"You bastard…" Jake bit back his emotions as best he could.

"Thank you for noticing." Percy cackled with delight. He motioned to the big man putting on the sandals. "Go bring me that deer."

* * *

"I can't believe I agreed to this," Eve muttered. She thought a moment and then corrected herself. "Scratch that, I can't believe _she_ agreed to this."

"You have a better idea?" Ezekiel growled lowly. They both peered through the brush they were hiding behind. A small house sat nearby. A man kept watch through one of the front windows.

"No, but that doesn't mean this one wasn't completely irresponsible and crazy," Eve cried.

"That's what I like about it," he grinned.

"They are _so_ going to kill us when we get back."

"Probably."

"I really hope this works."

* * *

After leaving the house, the sandal clad goon headed straight for the smoldering ashes of Stephanos' home. He began searching the trees surrounding it, the sandals carrying him through the brush with lightning speed.

Cyrene heard the rustle of the feathers in the air long before she could see the man. She took a deep breath and bolted out into the open. Her hooves kicked up the ground beneath her as she tried to keep the man behind her without a clear shot.

"Gotcha," he laughed and spurred the sandals onward. He slowly closed the gap between them. The trees were nothing but a blur as their speeds increased. His eyes focused on one thing, the golden target ahead. As he neared her, he raised the gun and attempted to level it as best he could.

She turned abruptly, trying to shake him, but he easily followed through.

"Not that easy. Say nighty night," he cackled and squeezed the trigger. The dart soared through the air straight to her left hip. He watched the tip disappear into her golden hide. She cried out sharply and stumbled to the ground. Her front legs thrashed slightly before she completely blacked out. The man holstered his weapon, and alit on the ground to collect his quarry.

* * *

"How long do you think we have to wait?" Ezekiel sighed, kicking back into a reclining position in the brush.

"Not long," Eve replied as she pointed out into the open. He sat up and peered out. The large man drifted through the yard toward the house-Cyrene over his shoulders, the sandals carrying their weight.

"Now let's hope it worked."

* * *

Percy's second goon opened the door for his compatriot to haul Cyrene into the room. He placed her on the floor kiddie corner from where Jake sat. The dart still buried in her hide.

"Excellent work," Percy grinned. "Now just to finish the last piece." He dug out the tubed syringe from the backpack.

Jake began trying to loosen the duct tape and free his arm but couldn't budge it.

"That's good, struggle, gets the blood flowing faster," Percy smirked. He removed the cap and lined the needle up against Jake's arm. Jake flinched as the needle pierced the skin and the blood poured into the tube. Percy removed the needle, leaving the wound to bleed freely. He removed the tube and pulled a second needle out of the bag. Quickly prepping the needle, he jammed it through the seal and withdrew all the blood he could then held the needle up to stare at it a moment, before rolling his right sleeve back.

"That's definitely _not_ a safe idea," Jake sassed.

"Once I have the power of the hind, it won't matter," Percy declared. He drove the needle into his arm and emptied it. The discomfort shown on his face, but failed to deter his plans.

"Boss." The smaller man offered the handle of the dagger.

Percy tossed the needle aside, grasped the dagger in his dominate left hand and approached his destiny. The hind lay sprawled on the floor, his large goon towering over her. He took his time, observing every inch and detail as his plan unfolded. Something seemed out of kilter. His eyes circled the room but saw nothing. He returned his gaze to the hind. There he saw the dart still embedded. Gently, he plucked the dart free and twisted it in his hands. The weight of it gave him pause. He stared at the side and saw it full of liquid.

"How many darts did you use?" he asked the goon.

"Just the one, she dropped like a stone," the man replied with a grin.

"One… just this one dart?"

"Yeah."

"It should have taken two darts to fully sedate her by my count. Do you mind telling me how you did it with just this _one_ when it is still full?!" He held the dart up so the goon could see the liquid still in the dart.

"Uh," the goon stammered.

They both looked down just as Cyrene turned to kick her legs up. Her hooves caught the large goon under the chin, knocking him senseless. Percy threw the dart aside and brought the dagger to the ready as Cyrene leapt to her feet.

"I got her!" the second goon shouted right before a fist plowed into his cheek. He stumbled sideways.

"Why don't you pick on someone your own size?" Eve retorted as she recoiled her fist. She and Ezekiel appeared from the back of the house. Ezekiel made his way over to free Jake.

"How'd you guys find me?" Jake asked.

"A little bird told us, well not so little," Ezekiel replied. Jake furrowed his brow. "Literally," Ezekiel added. He finished untying the rope.

"Okay," Jake shook his head. The duct tape from his arm came off easily, though painfully. Blood trickled down both sides of his arm from the needle puncture. As Ezekiel dropped to undo Jake's right ankle, Jake leaned over and pulled the left ankle free, clenching his teeth as the various pain signals ran to his brain.

"Done, now what would you do without me?" Ezekiel grinned.

"You don't really want me to answer that," Jake responded.

Both men quickly surveyed the scene. Eve was engaged in a brawl with the second goon, the latter slowly losing to her quick movements. The large goon was still near unconscious in the middle of the room. Cyrene was backed into a corner, the pile of furniture blocking her exit. Percy taunted her with the dagger. She kicked at him, keeping him at bay.

"We can't let him use that," Jake warned. He ran towards Percy. Ezekiel took a moment to process what he was doing before dashing after him.

"You're feisty for being a few millennia old, I'll give you that. However, this is my destiny, my design, and it is inevitable," Percy declared. He feigned to the left, drawing Cyrene's attention to her right, before he lunged at her vulnerable left side. The dagger drove through the void between them. Percy began a hyena laugh as he pictured his victory.

"No…"Jake shouted as he grabbed Percy's blocking right arm. He pulled, attempting to throw the man off balance. With the blood let weakening both men's arms, it took all of Jake's focus but the pull succeeded in turning the man's body sideways… toward him. Percy felt his body move and tried to pull back his lunge but he wasn't quick enough. The dagger in his left hand stopped between the ribs of his opponent.

"What have you done?! NO!" Percy screeched as he released the dagger.

Jake choked on the air attempting to enter his lungs. He looked down, gaping at the dagger. It had glanced off the top of his right arm and straight through the ribcage. A shudder ran down his spine, followed by several mini convulsions of his chest.

"You stupid librarian!" Percy hissed. His arms lifted to attack, when a dart soared into his left shoulder. He glanced at the dart quickly before weaving and passing out.

"Nobody calls us stupid," Ezekiel grinned. He stood next to the large goon, the tranquilizer gun in his hand.

"Nice shot," Eve commented, slightly out of breath. He turned to see her smaller opponent sprawled on the ground.

Jake dropped to his knees, still in shock. The other two ran to his side, Cyrene had turned to stare at him.

"Jake," Eve called. She fell to her knees to look at the wound. The dagger was deep. She carefully pulled it out and set it aside.

"How bad is it?" Ezekiel asked, his face twitching at the discomfort.

Eve sighed deeply and let her head lower slightly to the left.

"Oh man," Ezekiel swallowed.

"Hang in there," Eve insisted as Jake sank backwards. She caught him and lowered him on his back. His body began shivering. "No, Jake, don't you dare!"

Ezekiel swallowed in shock as he watched his eyes dimming. "Is he?" Eve checked the side of Jake's neck for a pulse.

"Not yet, but nearly," she replied.

"Oh crap."

Eve could feel herself wanting to burst into tears but she held on. Her mind raced through what she could have done different but nothing came to mind to do next. She began to zone out of the whole situation until she felt something hit her shoulder. Cyrene's nose nudged her shoulder a second time. Despite herself, Eve reached up to rub the deer's snout in empathy. The hind pulled away from the touch and nodded her head away.

"I think she wants you to move," Ezekiel suggested. Eve pushed up on her feet and backed away.

They both watched as Cyrene circled to Jake's side and knelt on her front knees. She took a breath as she lay her antlers across his chest. He watched the horns descend on him as he blacked out.

* * *

"This is really good, did you try this?" Ezekiel's voice carried in the darkness. The sound broke through and awoke Jake with a shudder. He took a deep breath and blinked as he scanned his surroundings. He found himself on a bed, the covers to his chin in the same room Percy had kept him. Eve, Ezekiel and Stephanos were in the kitchen area away to his left talking and eating. They had moved the furniture back out and made the house a home.

"You're awake, what a relief." Eve smiled at him as she made her way over. Ezekiel and Stephanos glanced at each other and followed.

"What the hell happened?" he asked groggily. He pushed himself up to a seated position and winced as a pain shot through his collar. She sat on the edge of the bed and helped guide his shoulder.

"Take it easy, your collarbone is still cracked."

Jake lightly fingered the collar, only after realizing he was doing it with his right hand. He rolled the right shoulder- no pain. A confusion crossed his face. He looked at his left arm, no mark, and quickly rolled his shirt up to check his ribs- nothing.

"What…wha…" he stammered as he stared at them.

Eve smiled. "Cyrene." She nodded toward the fireplace in the far right corner. Jake looked past her to see the hind on the floor bundled in blankets.

"She fixed you up, well most of you," Ezekiel commented.

"Took a lot out of her though," Eve added.

"How did…" Jake asked.

"Much like her cousin, the golden ram- now the golden fleece- she does have healing properties or restorative powers as some say. However, Cyrene's are not as powerful as her cousin. Even in death he can heal most anything, she cannot. In order to heal anyone, she must take from herself thus requiring life in order to heal," Stephanos explained.

"She gave up some of her life to heal you, man," Ezekiel restated.

"Nearly all of it, we thought she wasn't going to make it there for a bit," Eve commented. "She blacked out before she healed your collarbone. We bundled her up and have been trying to keep her hydrated when she comes to for a few moments here and there. I think she's going to be okay now."

"I will go check on her," Stephanos offered and disappeared.

"I think she likes you," Ezekiel teased.

"Shut up," Jake mumbled.

"What? I think she's gonna be handy to have around."

"IF she's around," Eve reminded him.

"So what was with the dart?" Jake asked. "I don't get it."

Ezekiel beamed. "That was my idea. We needed a distraction to sneak in, and we needed to flush out the dagger. They had a tranquilizer gun for a reason so it stood to assume they planned to use it on her."

Jake nodded his understanding. "And…"

"Well, even if they could somehow keep up with her-which they did-the dart was still going to fire at the same speed as it would if they were holding steady. Slow enough for her to easily outrun. Basic physics. So she ran just fast enough to stay ahead of the dart; then slowly reduced her speed 'til she matched the dart's speed. After that, we utilized her shape shifting ability. She actually manipulated her skin, creating an abscess of sorts just large enough for the dart tip. Once the tip was fully in the space, her skin closed around it, allowing her to manipulate the direction it moved without triggering the release of the liquid. The rest was simply an act."

Jake stared at him blankly.

"Just go with it," Ezekiel griped.

"She's awake!" Stephanos hollered back.

"Excuse us a moment," Eve held her finger up to Jake as she stood up and made her way over.

Ezekiel smiled at Jake impishly.

"Like hell," Jake muttered. He threw the blankets off and stood up. Ezekiel followed him.

Cyrene blinked her eyes and finished off the platter of water Stephanos offered her.

"She's looking good," Stephanos smiled. He brushed the soft fur of her cheek.

"We were worried about you," Eve told her. "Glad you're okay."

Jake nudged Eve aside enough to get past her and knelt down by Cyrene. "Thanks. You didn't have to do that, but thank you."

The large doe eyes stared at him for a moment before closing. In a flash, the deer faded away and the woman returned. Healing had taken its toll. Her body was older appearing than it had been when they saw her the first time. The price she had paid finally sank in for all of them.

"You saved me, it was only right," she replied meekly.

"You were only in danger because of me. We led him right to you and without me, he wouldn't have been able to use that dagger," Jake explained.

"He would have eventually, and now, no one will."

"How do you mean?" Jake frowned.

"You sacrificed yourself on it. That is why Percy was so distraught. You countered Hera's curse with Artemis'. If a descendant of Eurystheus sacrifices themself on the blade- it loses all power."

"But he didn't actually _die,_ does that still count?" Ezekiel asked.

Cyrene looked aside. "I don't know."

"So he freed you from fear of the dagger, and you may have undone his rescue by saving him?" Eve reiterated.

"Possibly," she answered.

Jake shook his head. "Why did you do it? You were free and you chose to save me and possibly risk it all."

She sighed. "I couldn't leave it like that. They may not have taken you if I had not hurt you in the first place. My actions led to your condition, it wasn't right."

"We both made mistakes, and we both paid for them," Jake twisted his mouth.

"Some more than others," Ezekiel laughed.

"Well, we'll be locking the dagger away in the Library where it won't be a danger to you again," Eve announced.

"Thank you." Cyrene pulled the blanket tighter.

"What about you? Even without the dagger, people will still look to capture you," Jake offered.

"Stay at the Library?" she asked.

"Yes. There are many creatures such as yourself that call it home."

"To be safe for all eternity… that is a pleasant thought. But at what cost? To never feel the warmth of the sun, hear the babble of the streams, see the trees bowing in the wind. No. Locked away a prisoner or locked away in sanctuary… they are still locked away. I will survive as I always have. Besides, I prefer to keep a world away from that," her eyes rolled from Jake to the dagger on the counter back to Jake.

"I understand," he nodded.

"She must rest now," Stephanos interrupted.

"Yes, and we need to get this back to the Library before it causes anymore trouble," Eve added as she scooped up the dagger. Jake stood up to join her.

"And these," Ezekiel giggled as he held up the sandals.

"Give me those," Jake yanked them away from him.

"Hey!"

"I'm not leaving the sandals of the god of thieves in the hand of a thief."

"Good call," Eve laughed.

"You're no fun," Ezekiel muttered.

"Suppose we should head back. Jenkins and Flynn are gonna have our hides when we explain this." Eve took a deep breath and cocked her head.

"Thank you again," Jake offered as he placed his hand on Cyrene's shoulder. She placed her hand on his.

"May the goddess bless you and watch over you," she offered.

Jake smiled and moved off to join Eve and Ezekiel by the door.

"Safe journeys my friends!" Stephanos roared.

They nodded and clapped each other on the shoulders.


End file.
